


Why I Love Oumota

by CheshireJabberwock



Category: New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing
Genre: Essays, Meta, Other, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-14
Updated: 2018-04-14
Packaged: 2019-04-22 14:49:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,416
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14311062
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CheshireJabberwock/pseuds/CheshireJabberwock
Summary: Just some long-winded ship appreciation meta I needed to get off my chest.





	Why I Love Oumota

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: These are my opinions, based on my interpretations of canon. I’m not trying to persuade anyone of anything, or tear down any other ships, or say my feelings are better or more right than anyone else’s. I just want to try and articulate why I love this ship so much.
> 
> If you have strong feelings against the ship, I’d recommend you don’t read this. 
> 
> Also I’m using localization conventions for consistency’s sake.
> 
> Okay? Okay.
> 
> I’ll try to keep this easy to follow, but no promises lol.

**Comparing and Contrasting Kokichi Ouma & Kaito Momota**

I chose this as the first part of this meta because (imo) the game itself practically begs the player to do this, and I think how they differ, and how they’re the same, is important to examine when exploring their relationship.

Their diametrically opposed viewpoints are heavily emphasized in the game: Kaito’s view that believing in yourself and in others can overcome even circumstances that seem impossible, and Kokichi’s that trusting in others will only make it easier for people to lie and betray you, are frequently repeated throughout the game. They contrast in many ways: Kaito is supportive, straightforward, and kind; Kokichi is manipulative, misdirecting, and cruel. There’s friction between them every time they’re in the same room.

What’s easier to miss is that they actually have a lot in common, too. Kaito will lie to the others if he thinks it’s for their own good, and act on his own without consulting the others if he thinks it’s in their best interests (hiding his illness, trying to take action by himself in Chapter 5, etc.). Kokichi wanted to cooperate with the others and find a way to outsmart the killing game together, and thinks the killing game is despicable and wrong to the point where he sacrifices his life to try and end it. Both of them are somewhat chaotic; authorities unto themselves; forceful personalities who refuse to play by the rules. They’re not equal in these traits (Kaito is more forceful; Kokichi is more maverick), but these are things they have in common.

But why does this matter to a relationship between them?

**Satisfying Values and Compensating Faults**

In every romantic relationship between equal partners, it’s important to have both similarities and differences. If your core values differ too much, arguments about things or ideals that are important to you could sour the relationship. But if you both have all the same strengths and weaknesses, not only do you risk growing bored with each other, but it also doubles the potential for disaster if you can’t balance out each others’ weaknesses.

Kokichi and Kaito have such good potential as a dynamic because they satisfy each others’ core values, and compensate for each others’ weaknesses.  Kaito values those who have strong ideals and are willing to do whatever it takes to fulfill them; Kokichi values those who challenge the limits others try to set on them and keep life interesting. They both dislike death and brutality, but they’re willing to accept the need for violence to make a stand if necessary. Their values complement each other, but are different enough to keep a relationship mentally stimulating.

As for their weaknesses, they compensate for each other beautifully. Where Kaito can get carried away by emotion, overlook things, and be too impulsive, Kokichi is analytical, perceptive, and plans ahead. Kokichi’s dishonesty and manipulative behavior is a problem, but one most likely rooted in a difficult and painful past; he needs a partner willing to call him out on it when he’s doing harm, but not abandon him just because he’s difficult to understand. Kaito has the emotional intelligence needed to compensate for Kokichi’s alienating behavior, and Kokichi has the cognitive intelligence needed to compensate for Kaito’s stubborn thoughtlessness.

And they both need someone who won’t let them get away with bowling right over their partner’s feelings, even when they feel it’s for their partner’s own good. They each need a partner who’s willing and able to stand their ground in the face of strong convictions and forceful personalities. At least, they do if they want a relationship that has…

**Balanced Power Dynamics**

Now, don’t get me wrong, an unbalanced relationship can certainly be fun and interesting to read and/or write about. And it can be cathartic to be in ultimate control of a relationship with a disparate power balance if you don’t get to have that in real life.

But for Kokichi and Kaito specifically, I personally don’t enjoy them in unbalanced romantic relationships. They’re doomed to die in canon; in fanfiction, I want to see them thrive and overcome the obstacles they face. Defeat their enemies, as Kaito would say.

But that’s not going to be easy for either one of them.

Both of them are used to doing what they want and getting what they want in ways that can be harmful to, or at a minimum thoughtless of, others. They’re selfish. They’re rooted in their own polarized ways of viewing the world, convinced that they know the best way to accomplish their goals, when healthy relationships require the ability to compromise. Both Kokichi and Kaito are strong-willed and difficult to cooperate with (even when they want to cooperate). They like to either lead the way, or go their own way.

And in order to have a balanced romantic relationship, they need someone who won’t put up with that, but will still be willing to stick with the relationship even when it takes a lot of work to approach each other as equals.

Kokichi and Kaito both have a lot of room to grow as people. In order to do that, and in order to have a romantic relationship where they’re on equal terms with their partner, they need someone who will call them out and hold their ground when they’re in the wrong, who won’t expect them to be perfect, but can respect their strengths even when they disagree.

**Mutual Respect**

Of course, Kokichi and Kaito butt heads a lot in the killing game – Kaito outright says he hates Kokichi, and Kokichi clearly is dismissive of and gets frustrated with Kaito’s bullheadedness (though also acknowledging he thinks Kaito should “stay that way”). But over the course of the killing game, they also gain a lot of respect for each other.

Neither of them ever says this outright, of course, since their methods of approaching the killing game are fundamentally at odds (and I don’t think a romantic relationship would have worked in the killing game as it progressed in canon), and by the time they respect each other, Kokichi is, well, minutes from death.

But if you look at their actions, you can see that by the end of Chapter 5, they do respect each oher. Kokichi chooses Kaito as his hostage on purpose, and  _trusts him_  to carry out his plan after his death. Heck, for the majority of Chapter 5’s trial, Kokichi has more faith in Kaito than either Maki or Shuichi does. (Even more interestingly, he puts more faith in Kaito executing his plan than he puts in Shuichi thwarting it!)

And though Kaito’s phrasing is insulting, it’s clear he admires Kokichi’s audacity and intelligence, and he  _believes_  the conclusions Kokichi has come to about Monokuma, the true mastermind, and the true nature of the killing game, to the extent that he’s willing to do something he knows will cause a lot of pain for Shuichi and Maki. He didn’t have to follow the rest of the plan after killing Kokichi; he could’ve been sitting in the hangar waiting when they arrived, and spared them that agonizing trial. But he chose to trust Kokichi, and Kokichi’s plan to ruin the killing game.

That they respect and trust each other to that extent during the late stages of a killing game speaks well of their ability to respect and trust each other during the more mundane challenges of day-to-day life. They’re capable of making a romantic relationship work despite the obstacles they each would face to get there. 

So long as there’s trust and respect, partners can approach each other as equals even when they disagree. You’ll never be able to perfectly understand another human being, so it’s important to be able to accept that, and not let a lack of understanding on its own be enough to destroy a relationship. Kokichi and Kaito show in canon that they can do that.

**Ultimately…**

Kokichi and Kaito have a really fun and interesting dynamic. They challenge and stimulate each other, but they’re capable of respecting one another even if they don’t understand where the other is coming from. They’re both compelling characters on their own, and I find the potential between them for any kind of relationship (antagonizing, loving, or anything in between) more exciting than any I’ve seen in a long time.

Love them or hate them, they’ll never be boring. And I, for one, find myself on the edge of my seat.

**Author's Note:**

> Wow, you read to the end of that mess? Thanks! I appreciate you indulging my enthusiasm for Oumota, lol.


End file.
